A British mother told her son to do something that makes a difference.

So, Rob Pope, 39, took his mother’s words and ran with them — four times across the United States.

And soon he'll make another appearance in Arizona during the final leg of his fifth cross-country trek.

The Liverpool, England, native believes he is the first person to run across the country four times in a year. His first run began Sept. 15, 2016.

"I looked at ways of making the run unique and watching Forrest Gump, at some point, I thought about the possibility of re-creating his run," Pope said. "I looked up his route and found an article detailing whether the run was possible.

In the film, Forrest Gump, played by Tom Hanks, runs across the country because he "felt like running."

Gump begins his run at his home in the fictional town of Greenbow, Alabama, and passes through Flagstaff before ending his trek in Monument Valley, Utah.

Pope has run through Arizona many times, but his latest, and fifth, run was cut short when he had to fly back to England for a special occasion (more on this later).

In March, he celebrated a milestone: he ran 15,248 miles — the mileage Forrest Gump is believed to have run. Pope celebrated by taking a few photos where it happened, near Petrified Forest National Park.

Posted!

Rob Pope was inspired by the movie "Forrest Gump" to run across the United States. He's trekked across the country four times since 2016 to raise money for World Wildlife Fund and Peace Direct. He's now on his fifth run. Rob Pope/Special to the Republic

Rob Pope was inspired by the movie "Forrest Gump" to run across the United States. He took photos with Arizona Cardinals fans while running through the state during one of his cross-country runs. Rob Pope/Special to the Republic

Interested in this topic? You may also want to view these photo galleries:

Why the running?

Pope aims to raise money for The World Wildlife Fund and Peace Direct — charities he believes can help address climate change and defuse conflict.

"Forrest was asked if he was running for women's rights, world peace, the homeless, the environment or animals," Pope said. "We both just felt like running, but I think everyone has a duty to stand up and be counted for what they believe in."